As a member of the board of the Program for Torture Victims, Hector was pleased to get word of a victory for one of PTV’s clients.
In a major victory for anti-torture activists, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled against Mexico in a closely watched case involving two ecologists, one of whom was treated by PTV staff.
Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera were abducted by the Mexican army in 1999 as part of a crackdown on activists fighting to save mountain-side forests from illegal logging.They were tortured into signing false confessions and imprisoned for two years before being released due to international pressure.

Montiel, who received asylum in the U.S. and now lives in Southern California, sought help from PTV staff. Co-founders Dr. Jose Quiroga and Ana Deutsch prepared the medical and psychological affidavits for his case against the Mexican government.
The court found that the army had violated the victims’ “rights to liberty and personal integrity” as well as their rights to due process and judicial protection.
It ordered Mexico to conduct an investigation of the torture allegations and pay Montiel and Cabrera damages.
“This is a victory for justice,” said Dr. Quiroga. “Let us hope that the court’s decision serves as a warning to the Mexican government and others around the world that torture will not be tolerated.”To read more about the Inter-American Human Rights Court’s decision .To read more about Rodolfo Montiel’s story/.